Photo by Playground Stage. Madeline holds a drum and crouches next to a student who is smiling broadly. The students looking on are smiling and covering their mouth laughing.

Educator

increasing accessibility | celebrating identity | strengthening community

Sharing the arts through process-based programming for all ages and experience levels to serve non-disabled and disabled learners in theatres, schools, early childhood centers, community groups, emergency shelters, day service organizations, and hospitals

Madeline kneels in front of a group of young people at an outdoor plaza. She has her arms out to the side and is making a questioning face. One child mimics this and another child laughs.

Early Childhood

Nurturing creativity, confidence, social-emotional learning, motor skills, and bodily autonomy in exploratory learners through creative drama, movement, art, and music

Madeline crouches on the ground helping two students with a scene. One student has their arms up by their face; the other is leaning away with their arms crossed.

Elementary – High School

Supporting beginning through advancer learners engaging in acting fundamentals, pre-professional acting training, devising, scripted work, improvisation, sensory drama, and boundaries and self-care for actors as well as identity-focused programming centering the disability and LGBTQIA+ communities

Madeline stands with a small group of students leading them in a movement exploration. Everyone's arms are fully extended in various directions.

Site-Specific Programming

Fostering skills for communication, creative problem solving, and emotional literacy through trauma-informed pedagogy, arts exploration, and arts-integration education with specialized programs in partnership with schools and local organizations for young people, families, and communities

Connect for Education

“This class surpassed my expectations. My son was engaged, participated, and really focused. A wonderful experience!"

Student's Caregiver

Programming Highlights

Neurodivergent & Disability Affirming Programs

Madeline has created specialized programming for young people and adults who are disabled and/or neurodivergent with Playground Stage (NC), Children's Theatre Company (MN), and The Spectrum Center (IA). While each rendition of these programs is molded around the needs and interests of the participants and organization, the commitment to fostering a space that utilizes theatre to affirm the diversity of ways we may communicate, process, experience, and engage remains the priority.

This video is from Adventures in Sensory Drama, a program Madeline developed for Children's Theatre Company's Virtual Academy.

Digital Performance: PRIDE

In Summer 2020, Madeline co-facilitated the creation of Digital Performance: PRIDE, one of the first programs of Children's Theatre Company's Virtual Academy. Created by 10 young people from across the country, this piece was created to honor and celebrate queer history using performance, poetry, visual art, collage, and historical documentation. She has also designed LGBTQIA+ centric programming exploring Shakespeare.

This video is linked from Children's Theatre Company's Student Voices collection.

Content Disclosure: Digital Performance: PRIDE reclaims identity specific language including “queer” and “dyke.” It discusses oppression and violence acted on LGBTQIA+ bodies, police brutality, family rejection, and self-harm.

Digital Performance: PRIDE was proudly sponsored by PNC Bank.

Interdisciplinary Learning

Whether through arts-enhanced or arts-integrated programming, Madeline loves diving into interdisciplinary programming. Whether creating characters to represent the different organelles in a cell, movement pieces that represent the water cycle, or using devising to explore current or historical events, providing learners multiple ways to engage with the content and unique opportunities to share their knowledge.

The featured photo is "The Periodic Table of Theatre" created during "For Science!," a summer camp at Children's Theatre Company. Students created an organization method based on the Periodic Table of Elements to represent different aspects of theatre production and performance.

Influential Trainings

Download Condensed C.V.

Certifications

Trauma Support Specialist | Trauma Institute International

Youth Mental Health First Aid | National Council for Behavioral Health

First Aid & CPR | American Red Cross

Brain Story Certification | Alberta Family Wellness & Oxford University

Autism Direct Support | The Autism Society of Minnesota

Inclusion & Equity

Cultural Equity Learning Community 2.0 | Arts Connect International

National Dance Institute Dream Project Workshop | National Dance Institute

Supporting Trans Actors and Creatives | Transgender Training Institute

Culturally Responsive Practice | People Incorporated

Cultural Perspectives | People Incorporated

Youth Safety

Trauma-Informed Arts Education | Chicago Children’s Theatre and The Lurie Children's

Center for Childhood Resilience

Intro to Strategies for Trauma Awareness & Resilience | Minnesota Peace Building

Leadership

Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training | Crisis Prevention Institute

Consent & Theatrical Intimacy
Working with Minor | Theatrical Intimacy Education
Consent in the Acting Classroom | Theatrical Intimacy Education
Intimacy Choreography | Theatrical Intimacy Education
Best Practices | Theatrical Intimacy Education

Level 2: Foundations of Intimacy II | Intimacy Directors & Coordinators

Consent in the K – 12 Classroom | Intimacy Directors & Coordinators

Working with Underage Performers | Intimacy Directors & Coordinators

Intimacy Intensive with Jessica Steinrock (3-day) | Intimacy Directors International

Intimacy Intensive with Tonia Sina (2-day) | Intimacy Directors International

Bystander Intervention | Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN)

Connect & Collaborate

If you're looking for a learner-centered, community-oriented educator, fill out the contact form below.